Report: Coyotes set high price for Ekman-Larsson, shopping Hjalmarsson

The Arizona Coyotes could be one of the busier sellers ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

It's been a miserable season in the desert, as the Coyotes have languished in the basement, having won just 10 of 44 games.

That means change is in order, and blue-liners Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson could be wearing different jerseys come March, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

It's a steep asking price for Ekman-Larsson, with Coyotes general manager John Chayka seeking two top-flight roster players in addition to a first-round draft choice for the star blue-liner.

On a poor performing Coyotes team, Ekman-Larsson has recorded 19 points in 44 games this season and is a key piece of the team's leadership core following the retirement of former captain Shane Doan.

Signed through next season, a trade for Ekman-Larsson ahead of this year's trade deadline means the acquiring team would get the Swedish defenseman for two playoff runs before his contract expires. The Coyotes used the same selling point when they dealt Keith Yandle to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2015 trade deadline.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes are also shopping Hjalmarsson. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has had little time to make an impact in Arizona after he was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason, as a series of injuries have limited Hjalmarsson to just 18 games this year.

Like Ekman-Larsson, Hjalmarsson is signed through 2018-19, though his cap hit comes in slightly lower, as he's owed $4.1 million.

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